Utility costs for proposed streetcar still to be determined

With the design portion of the city's proposed streetcar project at an early stage, it is premature to speculate on increased costs, the city's engineer said Wednesday.

Jeff Polenske said estimates on what it would cost to move private and public utilities to accommodate the streetcar are not yet known.

"It's our goal to get to a 30% to 60% design phase and come back to the Common Council with a status update on costs," Polenske said.

Polenske was reacting to a statement made by Ald. Bob Donovan, a frequent critic of the proposed project. Donovan accused Mayor Tom Barrett's administration of hiding potential cost overruns related to the possible relocation of downtown steam tunnels or water mains.

But Polenske said such concerns are premature.

The city has allocated $64.6 million - funded by $54.9 million in federal aid and $9.7 million from a tax-incremental financing district - to pay for construction of a modern streetcar line from the lower east side to the downtown Amtrak/Greyhound station. The city is considering a split in which streetcars would travel south of N. Broadway and north on N. Milwaukee St., between E. Wells St. and E. St. Paul Ave.

Polenske said that is the number the city is working with to get the streetcar project built.

Polenske said the city is close to announcing the name of the design consultant. This spring, the city plans to release the proposed route of the streetcar, and hopes to begin construction of the streetcar guideway in spring 2014.

In the meantime, the Public Service Commission has not yet ruled on whether the city or utilities must pay for moving private utilities out of the way of the route. The public utilities have estimated that cost at more than $55 million, though that number could change.

Should the PSC decide the city would have to bear those costs, that would force the city to either scrap the project or find ways to cut back.